Does 单 is always used to indicate "list" in chinese

[Guest123]

I only know that a list of people is 名单， a menu is 菜单。 Is 单 a word for all kinds of list (I know it also has other meanings, but I am now intrested only in this one).

For example, if I say 公司单， would it mean a list of companies? Or 项目单 would it be a list of projects?

[陳德聰]

It doesn't always combine with words in the way you suggest, example 賬單 is not a list of accounts in the sense that it is a list with a savings, chequing, investment etc account listed on it, but will have a list of fees on it.

Other places you might see it would be 成績單，流水單 etc, so yes in a sense it means list, but the things on the list are not necessarily as saliently understood just from the word preceding.

[boctulus]

A bill ( 賬單) is a detail so it's a list of articles to be paid so Edita has a good point... but as you said it could be an 'implicit' list

[Guest123]

But what about my question?

How to say "a list of companies"? Is it OK with 单，or it should be something else?

[Michaelyus]

The alternative is 表, which I think is more general. 单 to my ear feels a bit more ... concrete? Definite? Less spreadsheet-like perhaps. Not that 公司单 would sound all that odd - just something I wouldn't use.

[lling]

“公司名单” and “公司列表” are both fine for "a list of companies".